XYLEM and FLOM

Bill, Invest in a thread pitch guage and a set of "thread files". The thread files come in a set of 2 for "threads per inch", are square and you are sure to use them occassionally. Don't know if they come in metric sizes but would assume so. Good investment for those jobs that might require a set of large taps and dies otherwise..............John

 

Hey John... got just the animal(s) youre talking about. Tried doing it in situ, but pulled the valve instead. MIC'd the dia to make sure it wasn't egg shaped, then filed the threads. The nut required an ever so slight amount of wrench to run down 100%, and to be sure without measuring the depth. I put some dykem blue on the TXV face minus the O ring and it transferred 100% around the tube flange. Just gotta be sure as I hate to force aluminum stuff into place especially when theres vibration involved! Got most of the taps and dies up to 1" but AC and hydraulics are not an SAE type thread. Theyre an animal all to their own! Bill in TR

 

CALLING AN A.C. EXSPURT... PLEASE!!! I know the forum is closing its doors pretty soon but I need a quickie answer... I got my new receiver/drier today. Of course estas' hecho en china. All that's marked on the top is "IN" on one side. The OEM unit was marked "cond" and "evap". Im guessing the tube off the bottom of the condenser goes to the "IN" side of the drier???

Continuing on with the sheet metal work. Always some bugs to work out when retrofitting stuff ya know?? Bill in TR

 

I know when its winter, and ZERO F outside, A.C. isn't a hot topic (!) LOL, but no one has an answer about these drier connections for me? I also picked up a new 62" long AC belt and installed it. It really looked like a rubber band and next to the alternator belt, only rose about half way to the top of the pulley V. Any thoughts on that? It came from crack-auto and they don't handle Gates or the like anymore, BUT, that stupid belt was only $3.00 Hmmm... Even for twice as much belt at $6.00 it would still be a bargain! Bill in TR

 

I guess all the AC exspurts are in Mexico for vacation. ONE year from today will be Cozumel for the 6th time... cant wait, so Buick work will hafta get me through. I have 3 more months before its gotta be done so I can start on boat stuff... Never enough time since I retired...

Got the drivers side of the core support pan at the 90% stage. Just starting to be able to take measurements and things look ok...Got it de-burred and zinc primered, so I started on some door work... This is the drivers door, bottom front. I decided to pull the plug and cut the rotten stuff out and start with new; so far no regrets. I need to get the doors done and lined up so I can get somewhere with the front fenders. Bill in TR

 

Bill: I'm sure you've heard it said that rust is like an iceberg - it's what you don't see that is the problem. As I said, you are doing it right.

UticaGeoff

 

An amusing anecdote....Just like the playoff game yesterday, I fumbled the ball in 4th quarter overtime... To Wit:


My pal is up here from Chicago visiting for the MLK long weekend. Out in the shop smoking, I am explaining to him that I sold and shipped my two take off sport mirrors for a correct set from Mr. Utica Geoff. The purchaser said the mirror arrived cracked, which I could hardly believe as the way I packaged it seems impossible, but the UPS terminal guys are all aspiring football stars and drop kick the boxes into the trucks for fun. The situation resolved to both of our satisfactions, and while Im telling my pal this, Im showing him the new unit out of a box, carefully put on a shelf in the shop, and dummy me, fumbles the ball and drops the mirror on the floor. First down with 12 seconds to play... wheres the best place to get a replacement glass for the mirror? Ive only seen them at the parts place so far... Bill in TR

 

Hey Larry... thanks for that link! Is this for a replacement part or one to stick on over the original? No Buick jobs listed but they have them for a ponch Tempest. Theres L&R so Ill hafta go out and measure mine... Bill in TR

 

Grote:TU: Napa sells Grote parts We can buy them at Canadian tire on this side of the border:bla: A heat gun and a small scraper will remove the old parts and 2 sided tape installs the new:laugh:

 

Just checked on this side of the web , and NSL... (no such luck). Ill hafta stop by the store in town tomorrow and see if the slug will get off his padded stool to go ask the owner if its OK to look something up that's not on just the computer screen behind his sack of doritos and diet ' dew. I swear that guy cant tell the difference between a spark plug and an oil drain plug... YIKES!!!! Don't EVEN ask him about oil for a 2 stroke Detroit Diesel... ws

 

Just looking through Rex's "# of hours for restoration" thred... Even my buddy from outa town this weekend said that I have a tendency to retore everything I own. No lie! Its gonna follow me to the grave. Glad Im going in the oven; Im sure ROPER already has one to my standards LOL...

So I am now at an impasse; got the steel welded into the door corner and that's one repair down and 5 to go (other door corners and front fender bottoms). I really don't want to get into a total resto again as I don't think I have it in me. My car is a clone and runs good, is fun to drive and gets thumbs up all over town. If I went any further, Id be replacing doors and fenders, then theres 15K worth of painting.

So today, even tho I thought I had cut back into good steel, but once the welding started, the internal rust showed its head and there was a lot of popping and sizzling going on. The fab job turned out OK as its probably one of the most complicated areas on the whole job to do. Full of compound curves and radii, so its cut to fit and paint to match. The old weather stripping laid right in where its supposed to go. Gonna finish the job off with fiberglass ( NOT Bondo!!) and spot paint for this year. Next year may be a paint job... we'll see

Matt from PA sent me the inner patch panel (Thanks again Matt!!!) and it looks like an easy fit; once the doors and fenders are back on and aligned, I can refit the new panel and weld it and drill some holes. Right now its back to measuring air. I studied Mies Van Der Rhoe for a few years and agree with his synopsis... "Form follows function." 88 days to go.

Rex was wondering hours and guys commented, but this is running me about 5-7 hours a day, probably 5+ days per week. Im paying myself and I am my own worst judge. Hows that for an oxymoron??? Bill in TR

 

When the judge slammed down the gavel and said "10 YEARS", I knew Id graduate as a RASP artist. Got the first door dissected, with new steel in it and some fiberglass filler to fill it out. To a ruff rasp to "guide" it into shape and another coat with #60 on the DA. Tomorrow should just about finish this one up with another 4 corners/lower fenders to go. I think it turned out pretty well. If we keep the Bad Lad maybe we'll splurge on some SW rust free stuff and a fresh paint job.

Pats kid finally came over for some punishment. Wire wheeled the "obvious" frame parts and prime and paint. Im too damn old to lay on the floor on that stuff. Itll look swell when done. Still debating how to tackle/attack the paint issue. That remains to be seen. Still just trying to save the old paint for another year or so. The stripes are really nice but killers to do, Im sure!! Bill in TR

 

Got a handle on things and finally hit my stride. Just making some progress on the drivers door.... YAWNNNN. Busted a move on it this morning, being a rasp artist and all. Got it down to being manageable with #80, switched to 220, the did some 320 on the long board. Masked it off from the belt line down, and got the first coat of primer on it, wet sanded with 600, and a second coat sanded with 400. Fine isn't always better, as this one needs some "grip".
Shhhhh !!! Got six coats of appliance epoxy on it and think it looks better than the other stuff that's above it. Being below the belt line, those damn judges will never see it. Tomorrow, Ill flip it over and do the door jambs and the body jambs. Then its time to wrap that rascal (put the rubber on) and install the hinges and hang it. 87 days as of tomorrow to go... Bill in TR

 

Got the door flipped over this morning so I could get the seam on the skin filled with some seam sealer. Scraped ALL the old stuff out and cleaned it well with a wire wheel on a hand grinder. The stuff sets up enough to paint in a half hour. I brushed on (!) 2 coats of rustoleo on the door jamb and it looked OK, and a final coat with the appliance epoxy it smoothed out like some one came and sprayed it. I impressed myself on this one!

So, heres one for the door exspurts... Ive had both handles apart, including a spare set from 2 other doors. The activating pin under the thumb button is bent on all of them. Don't say to look at the book because its a very vague identification on that part. The passenger door works fine. The drivers door, the thumb button always sticks in, making a karate chop just above it to release it necessary every time. With the handle off, I can stick my finger in the hole and push the tab for an instant release. Ive had all 4 handles apart for cleaning etc, and am hoping that's all it was. Itll probably get a dab of grease on the actuator plate inside the door. Think that's all it is?

Lowered the window down stops a tad more and can well get at the rubber belt line seals. It was touchy getting the old ones off, but an extra 1/16" really helped. Cleaned and greased all the internals as much as possible without pulling them out. Window now cranks effortlessly. If my paint is really dry by tomorrow, Ill probably get the rubber seal installed and the belt line scraper. Next step is to start hanging the door. Sounds like fun eh??

Bill in TR

 

Bill: You have alot of talent - don't ever see yourself short. As I remember my door handles, all had the bent rod that pushes against the "paddle" on the door lock. A little grease on the paddle will help. It sure is looking great.

UticaGeoff

 

Thanks Geoff... I try to make do with what Ive got. Ive seen guys take stuff SO far apart that its usually sold a decade later as a pile of parts. I sure cant afford that (mentally) and cant afford it financially as in doing a frame off resto. I like to drive. Being retired is like being on vacation every day, but I haven't gone anywhere in 3 years. Hmmm... A year from now I promised Pat a trip to Cozumel, but now Im thinking maybe Cuba. She wants no part of that altho they are only 60 miles apart by water.

I still think I did OK on buying the Bad Lad, theres 10K in parts if nothing else LOL! Im always in for a project tho, I inherited that and we'll call it the family curse... it varies from building a mini bike to a 5 room addition on the house. Yeah... its lonely at the top, ya know?? Cant wait for the first start up... soon to be seen here!

This was the first start on my model T speedster 3 years ago. It wasn't even a basket case. Things come and go with me, but Buicks take a special place in my heart! BTW, Mike is my pal from mintyapples that bought the Pollinator Special... Bill in TR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVzr58dIMhg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Lw7aNJ-2E8